North Penn Bridge News

Greetings to the

North Penn Bridge Community!

Week of 08/12/2024

Education - Fall Classes

Deb Crisfield will be teaching a Beginner Bridge class this fall if there is enough interest. If you know someone who is eager to learn bridge, please have them contact Deb at dwickcris@yahoo.com or 973-769-9619. Talk the game up among your friends! We need new players!!

Click here to view the flyer.

From the Editor

Toysie Walker

The Toronto NABC will forever be extra special for me. Jane Pelullo arranged a team game for us with Margaret Cooke and Bobette Thurson, daughters of Dorothy Hayden Truscott, who won four world championships and for many years was the top-ranked woman player. She also authored several bridge books, one of the most popular being Bid Better Play Better.

After the game, Jane and Pete hosted a lovely dinner at their hotel. What a treat it was to be with our hosts and Margaret and Bobette! Margaret is a close friend of Jane’s sister. Bobette is married to Todd Thurson and together they are an excellent pair. For me it was truly an evening to remember and one of the reasons I love bridge and love going to clubs and tournaments. I have met so many incredible, interesting people...never would have if I didn’t play this wonderful game.

Jane Pelullo, Margaret Cooke, Bobette Thurson, Toysie Walker

From the Club Manager

Dave Dodgson

NAP Qualifying . August 12-16 is the last week to qualify for North American pairs. Click here to see if you have qualified.

August Events

Aug 12-16---NAP Qualifying. Half red points.

Aug 16------.0-500 Swiss

Aug 17------.Robot individual game

Aug 19------.ACBL-wide Junior Fund game

Aug 26-30-..Club Championship games

Achievements. Congratulations to the following members who have advanced in rank:

Sheldon Per---------------Diamond Life Master

Kay Garrity---------------.Silver Life Master

Stephen McReynolds-----Advanced NABC Master

Jack Carbello-------------Sectional Master

Susan Shaffer-----------.Sectional Master

Upcoming Tournaments:

Aug 14------.D4 Online

Aug 19------.ACBL-wide Junior Fund game

Aug 19-25---Regional Baltimore

Education

Shuffle & Deal Wednesday, August 14, 9:30 - 11:30 am

Remember, our Shuffle and Deal sessions are open to all who have an interest in supervised play (not just new players.)

Partnership

If you need a partner for a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday Open game, please email northpennbridge@gmail.com. We will do our best to match you with others who are looking for someone with whom to play.

Requests for Tuesday and Friday limited games should go directly to Mitch Snyder at bridge4all@comcast.net

Calendar

Click here to see a file you can enlarge.

Ask the Expert

You are White v. Red in 2nd seat (mps) & hold KQ A AKQ63 AJ1085. You bid as follows (no opposing bidding:)

2C - 2D (waiting)

2NT - 3H (spades)**

3S - 3NT

**Over 2NT, you don't play Puppet but do play Smolen, so partner has exactly 5 spades & has fewer than 4 hearts.

(1) Do you agree with your auction thus far or would you bid your hand differently?

(2) What would you do over partner's 3NT call?

John Dickenson. Tough question. If we do not have 9 top tricks I am afraid they will have enough hearts to set me. I will correct to 4S and hope for the best. I do see the need to open 2C but I would prefer 3D over 2D, my hand is far from balanced. Now over 3S I would bid 4C. This is a better picture of my hand.

Dennis O’Brien. I don't like the bidding as given. Over 2D I would bid 3D. If partner bids a major, I would bid 4C (natural.) If partner reverts to 4D I’d use Blackwood to decide between 5 or 6D. Otherwise I’d bid 5C to give partner a choice at the 5 level. I predict a wide range of responses to this problem.

Mitch Snyder. I'm tempted to open 1D and jumpshift in clubs. It's very unlikely to be passed out, i.e., that no one at the table finds a one of a major overcall. I'm not fond of the 2NT rebid, 3D seems better. In the given auction, I see no way forward to look for a minor suit slam, so 3NT it is.

Bill Bauer. (1) No, I would certainly bid this distributional hand differently. First, over 2D (waiting) I would rebid 3D. Partner is likely to rebid 2S. I would now bid 3C and see whether or not I get any interest from partner in one of my suits. Of course, I am feeling slamish. (2) I would correct to 4S. It is too late to show my minors at this point.

Elaine Clair. I agree with the majority, John, Dennis and even Bill🤪 on this one. I’m fine with the 2C opener but would then show D and C. With a fit in either minor suit a slam is a good possibility.

Email your questions, or a pesky hand, or something you’d like to know about bidding or playing to Toysie at toysiewalker@gmail.com. She will forward them to the panel, one will be chosen, and the question and answers will be printed in the following week’s newsletter.

We update our Facebook page regularly so be sure to check it out.

It’s a great way to stay in touch with all the happenings at North Penn.

Tidbits

Deal of the Week

by John Dickenson

An All Black Hand

Playing in the Sunday open game at King of Prussia with Susan Morse, I picked up in first chair AKQJxxx - - QJxxxx.

Now there is no scientific way to bid these sort of freak hands, and I am not a fan of opening these two suiters with a strong artificial 2C. I do hold the “master suit”, spades, so I am not concerned about being outbid.

So I open 1S, LHO passes, and Susan responds 1N forcing. RHO comes to life with 4D. I bid 4S, pass, pass, 5D. I try 5S, all pass. It can’t be right to defend with my hand.

Lefty leads a diamond and dummy comes down with both the ace and king of clubs. I ruff the diamond in hand and claim, making all 13 tricks.

A couple of points of interest – I thought we would receive a poor score for missing a laydown grand slam, but we received 92% of the matchpoints. The second point of interest is the wide variety of outcomes on the deal – both in terms of contracts and tricks won.

One other pair was +710, and one declarer in spades managed to hold himself to 12 tricks, perhaps pulled a wrong card. EW can make 6D, but it requires careful play in the heart suit after pulling trump in two rounds. Presuming North showed a preponderance of black cards during the auction, declarer must cash the heart ace first, then pass the ten when North shows out. If South covers, declarer must use his third trump in dummy for an entry and take the marked finesse against South’s 9 spot. All EW pairs declaring in diamonds received good scores, whether doubled or undoubled, whether taking the 12 available tricks or only 11. Conversely, all the EW pairs defending spades received poor scores.

For those who question my decision not to open 2C with a “two loser hand”, consider this: there are 26 red cards outside my hand and partner can have at most half of them. One or both opponents are short in spades. There is no way I will be passed out in 1S. Furthermore, by opening 1S I have a good chance of being able to show both my suits, way better than an auction that goes 2C-p-2D-5D back to me and I am introducing my suits at the 5 level.